The Hunter Diaries, Volume One: Subject Salvatore
by TSPking1994
Summary: Dear Diary, I returned to Mystic Falls to protect my sister Elena from a darkness she never understood but it was me who never truly understood it and now I stay while I try to work out if the Salvatore brothers are allies or enemies. My name is Hunter Gilbert, and this is my story.
1. Love Thy Sister

**The Hunter Diaries, Volume One**

**Warnings: I do not own the original content to "The Originals", "The Vampire Diaries" or "Legacies" or any of the characters from the television shows. **

**15 plus, displays of Violence, Gore, Torture, M/M, F/M, F/F.**

Dear Diary,

It had been well over a year since I had last returned to Mystic Falls, a year since I had buried my mother and father. I had hoped my next return would be under happier circumstances and judging by my last visit the bar wasn't exactly raised high but somehow Mystic Falls has dragged me once more for a different kind of tragedy this time regarding my twin sister Elena's love life.

Since my fifteenth birthday I have spent my days mostly in isolation hunting my next kill and wondering if I'd survive to see another year go by.

I am now 17 years old and not only returning to my hometown but returning to Mystic Falls High all in the name of my sister who has found herself dating a vampire luckily for her not that she knows it but her brother just so happens to be a hunter.

My name is Hunter Gilbert, and this is my story.

**Episode One: Love Thy Sister**

Hunter had got into Mystic Falls late on Sunday night only to fall asleep even later after being debriefed by his aunt Jenna Sommers about the vampire Stefan Salvatore who his sister Elena was dating and his wayward brother Damon Salvatore.

Hunter came from a family of special hunters from his father Grayson's side however he married a reformed hunter called Miranda and the two would often clash about Hunter's family legacy but once Hunter was told of his lineage he wasted no time in dropping out of high school preferring anything other than that not knowing by leaving school at fifteen he would initially never see his parents alive again.

Miranda's sister Jenna was also a reformed hunter or at least she was until a vampire began dating her niece, a niece of which was seemingly kept in the dark by it all much to Hunter's curiosity. He had many suspicions as to why his parents kept their legacy from Elena but didn't get time to test them and decided after losing his mum and dad keeping his sister in the dark was the best way to protect her.

So, between late arrival and later debriefing Hunter was working on little to no hours when he faced his hardest mission yet on that Monday morning, mission: high school.

"So, I expect your aunt has filled you in on Elena's boyfriend?" Bonnie asked Hunter as she met him walking down the busy high school corridors. "He seems really nice but I'm not sure there's just something off and wait till you meet his brother Damon."

"I don't know what was wrong with the last one." Hunter replied to her. "Matt Donovan was a real sweetheart."

"She's not been seeing him in well over a year and besides he went to go stay with his estranged father after his mum went to rehab." Bonnie explained as they continued their walk down the corridors. "He seems to like it there."

"What is Caroline making of this guy then?" Hunter asked her.

"You're seriously out of the loop Hunter," Bonnie laughed. "Caroline left Mystic Falls about six months ago when her mum former sheriff Liz Forbes got that major promotion in San Francisco. She's living the city life now and loving every second of it."

"I don't exactly blame her Mystic Falls was never somewhere I intended to be returning to anytime soon." Hunter admitted to his friend as they both spotted Elena walking into the corridors hand in hand with Stefan.

"So, what made you drop out of private school and come back?" Bonnie wondered as the answer to her question, Stefan Salvatore, walked over to greet them with Elena by his side the couple's hands tightly gripped to each other's.

"You must be the twin brother I've heard so much about." Stefan said to Hunter before looking over at Bonnie with a smile. "Hi Bonnie."

"And you must be my sister's boyfriend," Hunter said with a false smile. "It's so nice to finally put a name to the face."

After a long day at school Bonnie Bennett walked home from school with her best friend Elena, walking down the streets of Mystic Falls as they headed in the directions of Elena's home and Bonnie's grams' home.

Bonnie often went to her grams after school as her father worked a lot and her mother had left them when she was just a child. Bonnie loved heading to her grams' after school and enjoyed all the time the two of them shared together often preferring her grams' home to that of her own's.

Despite her grams being her mother's mother, she was nothing like Bonnie's mum Abby. Sheila Bennett was a family orientated woman who adored spending time with her granddaughter Bonnie when she wasn't teaching at Whitmore College working there as a Professor of Occult Studies and after Abby walked out on Bonnie she refused to utter her name making it clear to Bonnie and her father she'd never stop being her grandmother.

Sheila's love for her granddaughter was as deep as Bonnie's love for her grandmother.

"Was it just me or was Hunter you know just a little bit off with Stefan?" Elena asked Bonnie on their walk home that day.

"He's only just met the guy give him a few days and I'm sure he'll be as friendly with this one as he was with the last." Bonnie reassured her.

"Yeah I suppose your right Hunter just seems a little less like himself these days although considering I've only seen him once in the last two years, I can't exactly presume who himself is." Elena said with a sigh. "It's just we used to be so close and now it's like I don't know if he even likes me never mind does, he like my boyfriend."

"Elena your looking into everything far too much," Bonnie laughed. "He only got back yesterday and got thrown back into school today give the guy a break."

"Yeah I suppose your right I'm just overthinking and over worrying like usual." Elena said as the two of them stopped outside of Sheila Bennet's home. "It's just I've not seen him since the funeral and even then, he didn't say much. I'm just petrified when he does speak, he's going to admit he blames me for surviving when my parents never."

"Elena nobody except yourself would ever think like that." Bonnie told her as she placed her hand on her shoulder. "Cars crash every day and lives are lost that doesn't make your parents' deaths any less tragic but in no way at all does it make it your fault."

"You're right Bonnie Bennett you're always right." Elena said with a sad sigh. "I'm just so afraid of losing him Hunter and Aunt Jenna are the only family I've got left."

"Your brother loves you," Bonnie said while hugging her friend. "And I love you and neither of us are going anywhere."

"I love you too." Elena replied with a soft smile as the two of them broke off their hug. "Are you sure you can't go to Tyler Lockwood's party tonight?"

"No offence but partying with deuchebag Tyler and his deuchebag friends hardly seems like a good time." Bonnie answered. "It also doesn't sound like something Elena Gilbert would find a good time either."

"Yeah I know but Hunter and he were friends before he went to private school and Hunter's going so that means Stefan and I are going." Elena confessed.

"See now stalking your twin brother sounds much more like you." Bonnie laughed.

"What do you mean I'm a witch Grams?" Bonnie asked her grandmother while the two of them sat on the couch in Sheila's living room.

"You're not just any witch Bonnie, you're a Bennett you come from a lineage of some of the most powerful witches in history." Sheila explained to her granddaughter. "Your father never wanted me to tell you this, but I figured when you were old enough to understand it was my duty to tell you who you are."

"Grams you can't be serious, you can't be, can't you?" Bonnie wondered equally confused and intrigued by her grandmother's words as Sheila stood up from the couch and wandered out her living room. "Grams."

"This book was given to me when I was about your age," Shelia said as she walked back into the room holding an ancient looking book. "Consider it somewhat of an introduction to your own craft."

"I really don't understand Grams," Bonnie replied as her grandmother handed over her first grimoire. "I'm not even sure I believe in any of this."

"That's okay it's good to be sceptical Bonnie being sceptical will be the key to surviving in this wicked world." Sheila explain as she sat back down next to her granddaughter. "A darkness has come to Mystic Falls so believe me when I say be sceptical of everyone."

Hunter was reluctant to go to a party in the woods for more than one reason: he wasn't use to socializing anymore so much so that it had became a chore to him, playing the normal high school teen at Mystic Falls had drained him and most importantly the party itself was organised by Tyler Lockwood.

Hunter and Tyler had a complicated history going back years as the two of them alongside Elena's ex Matt were all childhood friends and grew up together alongside Elena, Bonnie and Caroline but Hunter and Tyler became a little too close not long before Hunter left Mystic Falls and was Hunter's biggest reason for not being too excited about returning.

Hunter knew a forest full of drunk teens was the perfect playing ground for any vampire so the luxury of not attending was one he didn't have.

"Look we don't even have to stay long just long enough to show face say our hellos and then head back home if you're not having anything fun." Elena explained to Hunter as the two walked through the woods of Mystic Falls. "Getting back to normal includes high school parties, parties that you used to enjoy once."

"A lot of things have changed since those days Elena but if you want me to get drunk and party till morning then that's what we'll do just remember I'm doing this purely for you." Hunter replied as the continued walking through the woods. "Why is Bonnie not with us tonight?"

"She never sacrifices time with her grams." Elena responded as the two could see the witches house from a distance. "If this turns out to be such a miss we'll go over and keep them both company."

"Don't tell me the party's in there I'm so not ready for a party in that Ratched ass house." Hunter moaned as he stopped in his tracks. "That's just asking for trouble."

"Since when did I become the responsible twin?" Elena asked jokingly. "Not to be morbid but the owners of that place are too dead to phone the cops on us."

"You're right," Hunter laughed before the hairs on his neck began to stand up as he felt a gust of wind from behind.

He quickly turned around with force kicking the air until his foot hit the face of Stefan knocking the Salvatore vampire to the ground before Hunter quickly placed his boot on Stefan's neck.

"Hunter! What the hell has got into you?" Elena screamed at him. "Let him go!"

Hunter looked down at Stefan keeping his foot firmly on the vampire's neck as he considering taking the stake out of his jacket and ramming it into Stefan's chest right there but he knew when the time came to kill the Salvatore vampire he couldn't have any witnesses and after a moment's contemplation removed his foot off Stefan's neck.

"Sorry," Hunter replied as he held out his hand and helped Stefan to his feet. "I guess the dark, the woods and the haunted house got me a little jumpy."

"It's okay," Stefan said with a suspicious smile. "Elena mentioned you had a particular fear of things that go bump in the night."

"I'm so sorry Stefan," Elena said as she rushed over to Stefan and gave him a hug.

"I wouldn't call it a fear of things that go bump in the night I'm more cautious than scared." Hunter retorted. "Now are we going to party or not?"

"Yes," Elena responded with a smile to Hunter while continuing to hold Stefan. "Just no more hitting my boyfriend please."

"I'll try my best." Hunter falsely promised with a fake smile that made Stefan grow more suspicious about their little altercation.

Hunter spent the entire night within the abandoned witches house pretending to drink beer after beer while secretly tossing the beer when nobody was looking only to spy on his sister Elena with his target Stefan Salvatore in what was once a living room part of somebody's home which was now filled with a group of teens partying in its decay dishonouring it's memory with disco lights and wireless speakers blaring the popular music at the time.

He suddenly began hearing whispers from the hallway that grabbed his attention through all the noise making him walk into the darkly lit hallway leaving Elena with her vampire boyfriend in the process as he continued to walk down the hallway of the witches house the whispering growing louder as he neared the basement door.

"Well if it isn't Hunter Gilbert long time no see." Tyler said as he walked into the hallway holding a beer bottle and demanding Hunter's attention. "I never thought I'd see you at another party after you left Mystic Falls."

"Tyler Lockwood, I had wondered when I was going to bump into you." Hunter replied as he turned to face his former friend. "How are things?"

"You mean in the last two years since you went total ghost mode on me." Tyler responded clearly hurt by his friend's recent absence. "You don't text you don't call I can't help but think you've been avoiding me."

"Reception's kind of a bitch at the school I was at." Hunter lied. "Before long I gave up even trying."

"You've been back two days," Tyler said before taking a drink from his beer and walking towards Hunter. "Look Hunter I don't want things to be weird between us you're the only friend I've got left here from the old days."

"Yeah this place is becoming a bit more of a ghost town lately," Hunter replied with a sincere smile. "For what it's worth I think I can handle being your friend at least while I'm in Mystic Falls."

"Wait I thought you transferred here?" Tyler asked him. "Don't tell me your planning on leaving already, Elena will be gutted. I'll be gutted."

"I wouldn't say I'm in a rush to leave anytime soon but I do see more boarding school in my future." Hunter explained.

"Hopefully not." Tyler responded with a soft and sincere smile. "Mystic Falls hasn't been the same without you."

Stefan walked out of the witch's house to find Hunter drinking a beer while sitting on the large doorstep noticing how his girlfriend's twin brother was looking into space while lost in thought.

"Call me observant but my count that's the first drink that's you've not thrown away." Stefan said as he sat down next to Hunter.

"Nah I'd jump straight to stalker although stalkers tend to be very observant." Hunter replied as he took a drink from his beer.

"It must be hard being back for the first time since your parents' funeral." Stefan responded as he took Hunter's beer and took a drink from it. "Especially considering your back to kill your sister's boyfriend."

"I guess you're smarter than the average vampire," Hunter said while in shock by Stefan's words. "Either that or I'm seriously of my game."

"I know you probably won't believe me when I say this but I'm not here to hurt anyone least of all your sister." Stefan told him while taking another sip of Hunter's drink before beginning to cough.

"Yeah you're right I don't believe you." Hunter admitted as he rose to his feet while Stefan began choking before passing out. "I've never been too big a fan of the taste of Vervain, but it sure does the trick."

Hunter pulled out the wooden stake from inside his jacket while looking down at the vampire he had just outsmarted but before he had a chance to plunge the stake into Stefan Salvatore's chest he feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up once again before turning around to see Damon now standing in front of him.

"Hello Elena's brother," Damon said with a sinister smirk before grabbing Hunter's neck and snapping it instantly causing a lifeless Hunter to fall to the ground his body landing next to an unconscious Stefan. "Goodbye Elena's brother."

Elena awoke the next morning in her bedroom after heading home early the previous night due to her boyfriend and her brother's joint disappearance awaking to a knock on the door as she sat up in her bed.

"Hunter, don't tell me you're the one waking up before me this time." Elena laughed. "Or else I really am going to have to play the are you my brother card?"

"Actually, it's me," Bonnie said as she opened the bedroom door. "I've had a bit of a strange night and needed to tell you all about it."

"It can't be as strange as being ditched by both your brother and your boyfriend in the same night." Elena replied as she motioned for Bonnie to sit down next to her. "So, go on tell me what's on your mind Bonnie."

"You're going to think I'm crazy." Bonnie warned her as she sat down next to her friend.

"Bonnie we're all a little crazy," Elena responded with another laugh. "You're the sanest person I know and there's nothing you could tell me that would convince me otherwise."

"I'm a witch," Bonnie admitted. "Or at least my Grams thinks I'm a witch and I sort of believe her."

"Well that's definitely a shocking turn of events." Elena said in shock before Bonnie took a pillow from her and began ripping feathers of the pillow.

"Just watch." Bonnie told her before chanting in Croatian.

Suddenly the feathers from the pillow began floating in the air forming a circle much to Elena's amazement.

"Bonnie that's amazing," Elena responded with a smile. "What else can you do?"

Stefan stood deep within the woods of Mystic Falls standing in front of a recently covered grave patiently waiting until a hand come out of the grave a hand with the Gilbert ring on full display before Hunter pulled himself out of his grave coughing up dirt.

"I had a feeling no Gilbert hunter would go into any mission without a Gilbert ring." Stefan said as Hunter gasped for air and rose to his feet. "Naming one of their children Hunter was a bit on the nose but hey not my family not my decision."

"What the bloody hell do you want?" Hunter asked while struggling for air in-between coughing up the dirt that had recently buried him.

"A chance to talk and I'm guessing you're more willing after meeting my brother." Stefan replied.

"You have five minutes." Hunter said as he came face to face with the kinder of the two Salvatore brothers.


	2. Love Thy Brother

**Warnings: I do not own the original content to "The Originals", "The Vampire Diaries" or "Legacies" or any of the characters from the television shows.**

**15 plus, displays of Violence, Gore, Torture, M/M, F/M, F/F.**

Dear Diary,

I returned to Mystic Falls to protect my sister Elena from a darkness she never understood but it was me who never truly understood it and now I stay while I try to work out if the Salvatore brothers are allies or enemies.

My name is Hunter Gilbert, and this is my story.

**Episode 2: Love Thy Brother**

"So, you mean to tell me you're actually a good vampire and all this dumping my body in a grave was just a big misunderstanding." Hunter scoffed while still covered in the dirt from his grave as he and Stefan remained within the woods of Mystic Falls.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Stefan laughed. "Surely in the short time you've been hunting in the family name you've come across at least one good hearted vampire."

"Two years I've been doing this, and not once have I ever met a vampire who claimed to be on the good side." Hunter replied. "Although it's not exactly like I stopped to ask before killing them."

"So, you've just been going around the world killing vampires and you think I'm the bad one." Stefan snapped.

"It's not like conversations with the undead were the top of my agenda I was taught to hunt not make nice with bloodsuckers." Hunter snapped back.

"Bloodsuckers? Really I haven't even had blood from a human in decades." Stefan admitted in fury.

"Hold up you've been restraining yourself from human blood?" Hunter asked in shock by Stefan's admission. "My father never told me of any vampire who didn't drink from humans."

"I'm guessing your father didn't have much time to teach you that the world isn't as black and white as vampires versus humans." Stefan said with a sigh. "Hold up, if you've been doing this for two years you must've been fifteen when you started."

"Yeah my parents weren't too keen on Elena picking up the family mantle, so I got stuck doing the gig solo." Hunter replied. "Sometimes I love it, the adventure, the adrenaline it's out of this world and sometimes I just wish I was at the stupid boarding school."

"I think I know why Elena didn't follow in your footsteps." Stefan revealed. "The question is can I trust you?"

"Can you trust me?" Hunter scoffed. "I've just clawed my way out of a grave you put me in."

"Technically my brother put you there not me." Stefan answered him. "I was kind enough to wait around for you."

"Yeah well next time at least be waiting with water or something because choking on dirt really tastes like well choking on dirt." Hunter demanded. "I'll give you about as much trust as any hunter would trust a vampire."

"Okay I suppose that's the best I can ask for right now." Stefan reluctantly replied. "The story begins with a girl named Katerina Petrova although when I first knew her, she went by Katherine Pierce."

"You want to tell me why my twin sister is the doppelganger of a centuries old vampire known as Katherine Pierce?" Hunter asked his aunt Jenna as he marched into the kitchen of his family home where Jenna was stood cleaning dishes.

"Your parents were meant to tell you and then they had their accident," Jenna revealed as she stopped washing the dishes and began drying her hands. "They were trying to protect you from the truth."

"Which would be?" Hunter quizzed.

"Elena's not your twin sister in fact you real birthdays are a couple of months apart," Jenna admitted. "Your mother found her in a basket on the doorstep when you were a few months old they fell in love with her instantly and you two were so close even back then, so they decided to keep her."

"So, she's not even my sister." Hunter replied in complete disbelief to what he had just heard.

"Just because she's not your blood doesn't mean she's not your sister." Jenna stated as she placed her hand on her nephew's hand lovingly. "She's still the girl you grew up with, she's still the daughter your parents raised."

"What has Katherine Pierce got to do with all this?" Hunter asked as he removed his hand from Jenna's making it clear he was far from amused with his family's lies. "Why has she got a centuries old evil twin? Stefan said as much as he knew which except for the fact she's not in some tomb under an old church is frankly not much. He doesn't seem to know how the two are so connected but he reckons is can't be good."

"Since when did you start making friends with targets?" Jenna quizzed.

"No, you don't get to ask me questions right now!" Hunter snapped.

"Your parents never knew the connection at first, but it became clear she was Katherine's doppelganger I don't understand it any more than they did, but we knew to not flaunt it by making her join the family's hunting habits." Jenna reluctantly admitted. "There's a lot of rumors about doppelgangers and the first vampires but as far as I know that's all they are."

"Did nobody think why I was out there in the big bad world meeting Katherine may have thrown me off guard?" Hunter asked.

"We thought she was trapped in that tomb until now." Jenna replied. "I really am sorry I've kept this from you for so long, but we were only trying to protect her."

"Funny," Hunter responded as his voice began to crack. "I've lost count on the amount of times I've died and came back thanks to the Gilbert ring and nobody ever seemed to want to protect me."

"Hunting is a choice you don't have to be a hunter, your mum retired, I retired." Jenna said in a bid to reassure her nephew.

"I'm late for school I best get going." Hunter replied with tears in his eyes.

"So your telling me Elena Gilbert's not so twin brother is a hunter who tried to kill you last night and probably would have if I didn't intervene and you thought it was a great idea to inform him about Katherine Pierce." Damon snapped at Stefan as he sat on the couch in the living room area of the Salvatore home while drinking a glass of whisky as his younger brother stood above him.

"You wouldn't understand my reasoning because you only see enemies whereas I see potential allies." Stefan explained himself.

"He tried you kill you Stefan." Damon replied as he finished his glass of whisky.

"Yeah and you actually killed him." Stefan retorted as Damon stood up.

"Clearly not good enough," Damon declared. "By the way what is the deal with that?"

"I'd rather not tell you too much about that considering I don't trust you not to use it to kill Elena's brother more permanently." Stefan admitted to him.

"Oh, please Stefan playing the hero must get really old," Damon scoffed. "He's a hunter he hunts vampires, we are vampires the way I see it we either wind up dead or he does, and I know which option I prefer."

"I don't believe that I believe we can trust him." Stefan replied causing Damon to scoff once more. "Besides if anyone is going to find the connection between Elena and Katherine it would be her handy family of hunters."

"Wait are you telling me this kid hunter actually knows something about them being connected?" Damon asked his younger brother.

"Not that I can tell no, but I have a feeling he's going to be essential in helping us find out." Stefan answered his older brother.

"I still say we kill him I mean one less hunter equals one less problem." Damon replied with a sinister smirk that made Stefan uneasy.

Hunter walked up to the front entrance of Mystic Falls High to find Tyler stood there anxiously waiting for what looked like he was waiting for him. They had agreed to be friends after all but dealing with complicated entanglements was far from what he was ready for today especially after all the news he had just learned.

"Hey, I was beginning to think you were going to be late for your second day back." Tyler greeted him. "Mind you back in the day that tended to be our thing."

"We used to have a lot of things before you started having them with Vicki Donovan." Hunter snapped, instantly regretting his words. "I'm sorry you didn't deserve that."

"What happened to us starting afresh?" Tyler asked him as he realized a new start wasn't on the cards for them. "I'm sorry for what went down Hunter I really am but that was two freaking years ago neither of us are even the same people we were back then."

"I know," Hunter said with a reluctant sigh. "I've just had a really long morning the kind of long morning I've not had in a while and I could really do with bitching to my mother about it but she's not here anymore."

"I'm sorry it's bound to be hard being back here after everything," Tyler said while placing his hand on Hunter's shoulder in a bid to comfort him. "You know whenever you need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you."

"Thanks Tyler," Hunter responded with a soft smile before the two walked into the high school "I just kind of hoped I'd never have to be back here."

Hunter and Tyler instantly clocked eyes with Bonnie and Elena who were stood side by side in the corridors right in front of their lockers, Bonnie signalling them both to walk over to them.

"It's good to see you two have rekindled the bromance," Elena said with a smile. "I guess you crashed at Tyler's after the party, next time drop us a text I was pretty worried."

"Actually..." Hunter began to say.

"His phone crashed not long after we arrived back at mine and we didn't think to find a charger until morning." Tyler lied without hesitation causing Hunter to smile over his friend having his back.

"Well aunt Jenna was up all night worrying." Elena replied to her brother Hunter. "So next time just remember to notify one of us but I'm glad you're starting to readjust to life back in Mystic Falls.

"Sure thing," Hunter responded while looking at the sister he had just learned wasn't his blood.

"Are you okay Hunter?" Elena asked him.

"Yeah I'm fine," Hunter answered before turning to look at Bonnie. "So, how was your grams last night I've been meaning to visit Mrs Bennett."

"Now that's a story we're going to need to save for lunch." Bonnie responded as her and Elena laughed to themselves.

Hunter had spent all day at school trying to play the part of a normal teenager once again, the second day in a row now and the role itself he found harder to play by the minute before deciding to skip school halfway through the day in an attempt to do anything other than think.

Upon sneaking out the front door and walking through the school campus he was stunned to find Damon stood within the car park leaning against his blue 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible and decided to walk over to the vampire who had killed him the night willing for anything to distract him from the confusion he was feeling over his family following Elena's parental revelations.

"Hunting vampires by night and attending high school during the day you know I'm sure there's a TV show about that only with more women power." Damon said to him. "Also, that girl was a lot more impressive than you."

"I didn't realize impressing you was part of my job." Hunter replied. "Here's me thinking hunting and killing you were the only things on my job description."

"Last time I checked I did the hunting and you did the dying." Damon responded with a devilish smirk.

"Clearly I'm a lot better at killing than you because I'm still very much alive." Hunter stated.

"Yes, you are," Damon said as he walked towards Hunter. "The question however is how are you alive?"

"Buy me a drink and I'll tell you all about it." Hunter revealed.

"Underage drinking, skipping school and several homicides little Gilbert you have been busy." Damon replied with his signature sense of sarcasm. "I guess we have a deal."

Hunter sat in the passenger seat in Damon's car while Damon drove down the roads on the outskirts of Mystic Falls a journey which seemed to last forever which in reality was probably only an hour at max as the two remained silent for that entire time until Hunter decided to break the silence.

"I don't normally jump into cars with my targets, but it's been a strange couple of days and routine has truly went out the window." Hunter admitted as Damon kept his eyes on the road.

"My brother seems to believe that you're more capable than us to finding out the truth behind Elena and Katherine's unexplained connection." Damon replied. "I for one think he's laying far too much hope on a hunter whose only been in the job for two years I mean your biggest target so far has probably been Bambi's mum."

"Seven vampires in two years although I'll admit none of them were nearly as old as you." Hunter revealed. "As for Elena the only information I've learned so far is she's not actually my sister and my guess the truth behind this Katherine connection lies within her real parentage."

"That's it," Damon snapped as he slammed down on his breaks causing the car to come to a crashing stop. "I figured that one out during day one which means Stefan was wrong about you and it's time for that drink."

Damon pulled Hunter in towards him displaying his vamp face in the process before plunging his fangs into Hunter's neck before Hunter even had a chance to react Damon pulled back coughing up the blood, he had just taken from the Gilbert man.

"Your blood," Damon said as he continued to cough. "Your blood tastes like death."

Hunter laughed at the vicious vampire only serving to make Damon more furious as he unbuckled Hunter's seat belt before throwing him with force through the windscreen of his car causing Hunter's body to bounce off the bonnet before slamming into the cold hard road.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food." Hunter replied smugly as he rose back onto his feet.

Damon wasted no time in restarting his car and going full speed towards Hunter running him over in the process Hunter's body once again slamming onto the ground as Damon's car drove over him in which Damon decided to stop then reverse his car to go over Hunter's body once more continuing to reverse until Hunter's lifeless broken, bloody and bruised body lay on the road in front of him causing Damon to smile at his victory.

As the hours passed day quickly turned into night and Damon remained in his car watching over Hunter's lifeless body laying on the ground waiting for him to return to the land of the living intrigued as to how the process worked but not quite as intrigued as to why his blood tasted so bitter in his mouth.

He seen Stefan vamp speed from further down the road and over to Hunter's lifeless body forcing himself to get out the car to talk with his younger brother who was clearly far from impressed.

"I told you I had it handled," Stefan shouted after vamp speeding over to Damon and slamming his brother's body against the car. "I swear to god if you have killed Elena's brother, I will kill you myself."

"Stefan I'm merely just doing some of my own detective work." Damon explained as he pushed his brother off him. "Besides with the bunny blood you keep ingesting we both know you're not able to take me brother."

"Are all vampires this bloody broody?" Hunter asked while struggling for breath after rising to his feet, the life clearly having returned to his body.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked after vamp speeding over to Hunter.

"Let's just say I've died a lot more than twice over the last two days." Hunter admitted to Stefan. "Although it never gets any less painful."

"Just how many times have you died?" Damon questioned the Gilbert boy after vamp speeding over to stand beside him and Stefan. "Something tells me that's why your blood tastes so awful."

"Your pretty arrogant for a vampire who has tried to end me twice and failed twice." Hunter snapped at him.

"I've tried and succeeded twice not my fault you have some witchy work around." Damon snapped back.

"Can we leave the fighting until after we all find out why Elena is connected to Katherine?" Stefan asked them both. "After all we do all care about her."

"I'd rather die than trust this son of a bitch!" Hunter declared while pointing at Damon.

"Well you have died twice already." Damon replied smugly.

"Let's see how well you do one on one without any sucker punch moves." Hunter warned the older Salvatore brother.

"See now your talking." Damon responded before Stefan grabbed a hold of his brother's head and snapped his neck forcing Damon's lifeless body to hit the ground.

"Okay I'm going to say it I'm beginning to like you Stefan Salvatore." Hunter admitted while looking down at an unconscious Damon.

"Let's go somewhere and talk." Stefan said with a sigh making it clear he wasn't happy mediating between Elena's brother and his own brother.

"So, you mean to tell me that Damon Salvatore the man who has now killed me twice actually served time as a soldier in a war protecting our country?" Hunter asked while eating French fries at a booth in Mystic Grill, Stefan sat opposite him smiling away.

"He isn't all evil there is a human deep down inside there I mean how else would he care so much for Elena or why wouldn't he have killed me by now?" Stefan stated. "I mean I've been harassing him for well over a century and a half."

"This whole vampire having humanity is new to me and to be honest I'm yet to see any proof Damon has any." Hunter replied before stopping eating his fries. "Although you're proving yourself something of an ally and you're the only person in my life that's not lying to me or I'm having to lie to."

"You can't blame your aunt Jenna too much as she was doing was respecting your parents' wishes and all they were doing was protecting your sister." Stefan explained.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Hunter asked.

"Yes, I do." Stefan admitted.

"And Damon?" Hunter continued.

"He loves her too more so since he learned his former love of his life fooled him into thinking she was trapped in some tomb along with several other vampires." Stefan revealed.

"Katherine." Hunter sighed before the two of them noticed Elena and Bonnie walk into the Mystic Grill.

The two girls quickly made their way over to Stefan and Hunter with Elena kissing Stefan on the lips before sitting down next to him and Bonnie pinching a fry from Hunter's plate before sitting down next to him.

"Are you guys like friends now?" Elena asked. "I'm totally down with my brother and boyfriend being best friends but please less of the ditching school."

"Stefan's just been helping me readjust to life in Mystic Falls." Hunter explained to his sister and her best friend. "I'm beginning to think coming back was the right move after all."

"You can't believe how happy I am to here that." Elena replied with a sincere smile as she reached over the tabled and held her brother's hand. "We should celebrate with cake."

"Oh, I second that notion." Bonnie laughed.

"I could kill for some chocolate cake right now," Hunter smirked while looking over at Stefan who was smiling at him the two of them in unison over their secret lives that neither Elena nor Bonnie knew of…for now!


	3. Hunter Gilbert, Tomb Raider

**Warnings: I do not own the original content to "The Originals", "The Vampire Diaries" or "Legacies" or any of the characters from the television shows.**

**15 plus, displays of Violence, Gore, Torture, M/M, F/M, F/F.**

Dear Diary,

I returned to Mystic Falls to protect my sister Elena from a darkness she never understood but it was me who never truly understood it and now I stay while I try to work out if the Salvatore brothers are allies or enemies.

My name is Hunter Gilbert, and this is my story.

**Episode 3: Hunter Gilbert, Tomb Raider**

Weeks had passed since Hunter returned to Mystic Falls and he was beginning to start to enjoy being back home except for the numerous deaths he suffered at the hands of one Damon Salvatore. In the past few weeks Hunter had endured several different types of poisoning, gun shots, stabbings and most recently being set on fire all of which killed him but much to Damon's dismay none killed him permanently.

Hunter knew his permanent death wouldn't come easy for any vampire and he knew each time the Gilbert ring brought him back that he'd be closer to the last time it would work on him but he never admitted the ring's weakness to Stefan or especially Damon.

Hunter had become used to the idea of dying young and besides he found each death valuable as he seemed to come back to life with more strength, faster speed and reflexes every time so although Damon was merely experimenting with death and trying to be a nuisance of sorts he was actually helping Hunter in a weird sense that Hunter would never admit.

"I say it's a bad idea," Stefan said to Hunter while they stood in the woods of Mystic Falls fight training before launching a punch at Hunter which Hunter managed to swerve. "The tomb vampires are very dangerous and very old vampires."

"Exactly more training practice for me," Hunter replied before punching Stefan several times in the face and kicking him to the ground. "No offence but vampires on bunny blood aren't exactly the best trainers."

"Offence taken," Stefan responded before vamp speeding a kick to floor Hunter making Hunter fall to the ground next to where Stefan lay. "Trying to set free any vampire for practice is a crazy idea bound to end in disaster."

"You may have a point, but I've never once claimed to be sane." Hunter said as Stefan rose to his feet and held out a hand to pull Hunter up off the ground. "If we can even break out just one vampire specifically the one who was best friends with Katherine before being entombed we might be able to learn more about your vampire ex and in doing so learn more about her current doppelganger who you just so happen to be dating."

"Why must you always bring that up?" Stefan asked while laughing at Hunter's words.

"Because it's weird," Hunter admitted. "Albeit no weirder than your twin sister turning out to be the good twin of a centuries old self-serving vampire."

"Did someone say my name?" Damon asked as he vamp sped his way to stand beside Hunter and Stefan. "So, this is where you two love birds spend all your time."

"We're going to free Pearl from the tomb and then interrogate her until we get some information on Katherine's whereabouts who knows she may even know something about Elena."

"Finally, somebody has an idea actually worth following through," Damon said with a smirk. "Good on you little Gilbert."

"Please tell me my brother agreeing to your plan is all the proof you need to know that this is far from a good idea." Stefan said to Hunter who just ignored the younger Salvatore brother's advice.

"I guess we better find ourselves a witch!" Hunter replied to Damon with a sly smirk of his own.

"I'm just saying before you go and ask Bonnie's grandmother to reopen a tomb that took a lot out of her the last time she did it for Damon only to find out Katherine wasn't there you'd at least consult with your aunt and see what she thinks about this idea." Stefan said to Hunter as the walk down the streets of Mystic Falls, attempting to talk Hunter out of his latest decision.

"Haven't you got a girlfriend you should be pestering instead of me?" Hunter asked him as they continue walking down the street. "Sheila Bennet is one impressive witch and as far as I know Bonnie's still in the dark about her magical lineage so Sheila's our best bet besides, she always preferred me to Elena growing up."

"I don't think you'll still be her favorite when you drag her into vampire business she wasn't exactly pleased when Damon forced her hand before." Stefan replied.

"In my defense I've got a lot more charm than Damon." Hunter stated. "She'll be eager to help me out."

"You actually think your charming?" Stefan laughed.

"You haven't seen my charm, yet I can be quite charming." Hunter argued.

"Clearly I've just been missing it," Stefan joked before being hit on the shoulder by Hunter as the two laughed at each other. "Don't use that approach to convince Sheila Bennet your charming or you might end up with a hex."

"See this is why I never normally talk to vampires." Hunter replied while rolling his eyes at him.

"Well consider me well and truly privileged." Stefan sarcastically said as the two stopped outside of Sheila Bennett's home. "Now is the time to back out if your having any second thoughts."

"First step in the hunting guidebook is learn as much as possible about any possible target," Hunter stated while staring at Mrs Bennet's home. "Learning about Katherine will teach us about Elena and by doing so make us prepared if her evil twin ever plans a return to Mystic Falls because something tells me she's going to be pissed to see her two ex-lovers lusting over her doppelganger."

"I suppose I can't argue with that logic," Stefan responded as he placed his hand on Hunter's shoulder. "After you Hunter Gilbert."

Elena knocked on the front door of the Salvatore home eager for Stefan to answer having felt him growing distant over the last few weeks and hoped that they could spend the day together to calm her nerves about their relationship but much to her dismay it was Damon who answered the door without a shirt on not exactly shy about his impressive chest.

"Do you ever wear clothes?" She asked him.

"We both know I'm a lot more likable to most people when I'm wearing as little clothes as possible." Damon replied rather smugly.

"I wasn't aware anyone found you likable," Elena said sarcastically. "So is Stefan in? We're meant to be spending the day together."

"Sorry my little brother is already outside playing with your brother I'm sure if you search high and low you will soon find them, but I doubt they want to be found." Damon proudly revealed.

"If your trying to make me jealous about my brother's friendship with your brother then you clearly don't know me very well at all I'm happy Hunter's made a friend." Elena replied.

"Wasn't he real friendly with Tyler Lockwood too?" Damon asked ironically. "Wonder what they got up to."

"Clearly you have a problem with Stefan getting close to another guy maybe someone's ego is a little hurt that Stefan's not chasing after you as much since my brother came to town." Elena stated before reluctantly sighing. "Look I don't want to spend all day going back and forth with you."

Elena quickly pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket dialed Stefan's number and held it to her ear as it rang and rang until it went to voicemail much to Elena's frustration and Damon's amusement.

"It's not like Stefan Salvatore not to answer his phone to you straight away." Damon mocked.

"He probably just missed the call," Elena replied before dialing Hunter's number which went straight to the voicemail making Damon laugh. "Hunter's phone is always off I swear he doesn't know how to use it."

"Or maybe he does." Damon retorted before seeing Elena being clearly upset about being ignored. "You may as well come in someone's got to tell you the truth can't have your pretty little head fretting over the small stuff when there's much bigger stuff for you to worry about."

"What is that supposed to mean Damon?" A clearly confused Elena asked him.

"Come on in." Damon repeated while rolling his eyes.

"Absolutely not!" Sheila said without hesitation upon being asked to reopen the tomb holding many vampires under the ruins of a church in Mystic Falls as she stood at her open door with Stefan and Hunter on her doorstep.

"I know this sounds like a crazy idea Mrs Bennet but it's kind of the only idea any of us have." Hunter explained to her.

"I'm sorry Hunter but those vampires are there for a reason and I will not risk any getting out it's beyond miraculous none managed to escape the last time I opened the tomb in search of Katherine Pierce before." Sheila replied making it clear where she stood about Hunter's mission. "You can't begin to understand how truly sorry I am the you wound up following in your father's footsteps one should never meddle in vampire business never mind being forced to make it their own."

"Nobody forced my hand Mrs Bennet I did what I knew was right and that's what I need you to help me do again." Hunter responded adamant to change Sheila's mind. "I know Damon forced you hand with threats and violence before, but you know that's not my style. This is my sister we are talking about your granddaughter's best friend I just want to have as much information as possible to keep her safe."

"This entire town won't be safe if even of those vampires get out, they have been trapped in that tomb for centuries without any blood if any got loose, they'd waste no time in slaughtering everyone they came into contact with." Sheila warned Hunter while standing her ground. "There is no way you can convince me that opening that tomb again would be a good idea under no circumstances will that tomb be opened."

"I guess if there's really no convincing you then I'll have to turn to Bonnie herself I'm sure she'd be more than willing to cast a simple spell to protect her best friend." Hunter revealed shocking both Stefan and Sheila in the process. "And if she's reluctant at first then I guess that's when I'll have to get Damon himself to persuade her."

"Hunter!" Stefan snapped, shocked to see Hunter's darker side.

"Are you really threatening my granddaughter Hunter Gilbert?" Sheila asked while clearly furious. "I have known you since the day you were born and that makes me reluctant to put you in your place but if you ever threaten my granddaughter again, I'll do just that."

"And you would be right to do so because Bonnie's your family," Hunter said. "Just like Elena is my family."

"You really are your father's son." Sheila stated while glaring at Hunter with a death stare.

"Thank you." Hunter replied with a smile on his face.

"That was no compliment," Sheila revealed. "Your father and his brother were ruthless hunters in their day far more cruel than any creature they may have hunted however your father softened when he found love with your mother your uncle however remained a cold hearted monster with the kind of look in his eyes I'm starting to see in yours."

"Mrs Bennet I'm only trying to protect my sister." Hunter tried to explain himself.

"Elena Gilbert is merely just a pawn in your hunt it is the hunt itself you live for it's even in your name." Sheila told him. "I will help you temporarily break the tomb spell but only because I know a hunter never lets anything or anyone get in their way despite the casualties but you Hunter Gilbert are never to step foot on my doorstep again you hear me."

"I understand." Hunter admitted with a sigh of sadness knowing that his mission to protect his sister had in that very moment just cost him a friendship of a woman he deeply admired.

Hunter, Sheila and Stefan had found underneath the ruins of what was once a vibrant church and a vital part of the community of Mystic Falls as Sheila drew a pentagram in the dirt while looking through a large and clearly ancient grimoire while Hunter and Stefan stood in front of the cave where inside the tomb vampires were trapped.

"I still can't believe you threaten somebody you grew up with just to get somebody you said you liked to be forced into doing what you wanted of them." Stefan said to Hunter making it clear he was far from impressed with Hunter's earlier actions.

"She may not be my sister by blood Stefan, but she's been my sister all my life and I don't care if my actions turn the entire world against me as long as she stays safe." Hunter admitted. "I can't lose another member of my family; I won't lose another member of my family."

"I don't want to lose Elena either and trust me I will stop at nothing to ensure she's safe but threatened her best friend and her best friend's grandmother is not the way." Stefan told him. "I had hoped to have came into your life soon enough to stop the hunter mentality being your only way of thinking, but I'm started to worry Sheila may have been right about you."

"You really think that of me?" Hunter asked clearly wounded by Stefan's painfully true words.

"I fear your humanity is just as in trouble and just as fleeting as my brother's and I'm sorry Hunter, but I can't save you both my loyalty is to him and your sister." Stefan explained. "After this you're on your own or better yet maybe you should find a new partner in Damon you two are clearly more suited."

Sheila began chanting in Croatian and within moments each candle located in each corner of the pentagram was lit.

"I'm ready." She said breaking the boys' awkward silence.

"Use didn't really think you'd be tomb raiding without me now did you?" Damon said upon vamp speeding into the underground cave holding Elena by his side. "I may have also got a little bit too gossipy with my girl talk but you know me the only thing looser than my lips is…"

"Elena!" Hunter said in shock, not expecting to see his sister and knowing what her presence meant.

"Damon told me everything," Elena admitted to Stefan and Hunter while pushing away from Damon. "He told me about vampires, about doppelgangers, hunters and that I'm adopted."

"Whatever he told you…" Hunter tried to deny.

"Is the truth." Stefan interrupted unable to lie to the woman he loved any longer. "All we were trying to do is protect you from it."

"We'll talk about everything later," Elena replied to Stefan. "But right now, we have a tomb vampire to break free."

"Wait you want to go along with Damon and Hunter's plan? You can't be thinking straight clearly you're in shock by all the revelations it's completely understandable." Stefan said to Elena as he walked over to his girlfriend.

"I've known about Bonnie being a witch for quite some time now," Elena revealed before looking at Sheila. "And that you were one too after adjusting to that vampires, hunters and doppelgangers aren't really much of a stretch but yeah I want to know why the hell I'm connected to a centuries old vampire."

"Then I guess I shall begin the spell." Sheila responded before beginning to chant in Croatian once again.

Hunter and Damon stood side by side silently watching as Stefan took Elena over to one side of the underground cave they had all found themselves in a bid to explain some rather unexplainable things both too busy eavesdropping to speak to each other while Sheila stood in the middle of the pentagram she had drawn continuing to chant in Croatian as the flames on the candles in each corner of the pentagram grew longer, wider, harsher and more powerful by Sheila's chants.

"Why are you dating me Stefan?" She asked the youngest Salvatore sibling. "Why would you date someone who loud exactly like your ex-girlfriend?"

"It's not like that at all what I had with Katherine was never real I was a human under her compulsion and then she turned me and my brother only to leave us like some cruel game." Stefan explained to her. "My feelings for you are what is real, Elena yes I may have been drawn to the mystery of you and your connection to Katherine, but I fell in love with the amazing person you are."

"I wish I could believe you Stefan I really do but you've lied to me the entire time you've known me, and I don't know if I can ever trust you again." Elena admitted to him.

"What does that mean for us?" Stefan asked her, fearing the answer.

"I honestly have no idea." Elena revealed much to her own heartbreak as well as Stefan's.

Hunter and Damon just stood there, Damon looking at the hurt on Elena's face and wanted to do anything to make her feel better while Hunter looked at Stefan feeling the same way about Stefan in that very moment there was no denying that Damon Salvatore was madly and deeply in love with Elena Gilbert just like Hunter Gilbert had just realized he was in love with Stefan Salvatore.

"The seal is temporarily broken." Sheila revealed in between her Croatian chants.

"I guess that's my cue then." Damon said before vamp speeding into the cave in which the tomb vampires were trapped without hesitation clearly eager to escape this painful for moment for all involved.

"I suppose this means we'll probably have our answers soon." Hunter told Elena and Stefan in a bid to break their awkward silence towards each other.

"And then later we can have a talk of our own." Elena replied to him, her very words striking fear in her brother fearing she wasn't happy with his secrecy.

"Not to be the guy who blames ghosts, but I was just simply following my parent's orders." Hunter mumbled awkwardly. "Then aunt Jenna's orders so if your mad at anyone you should totally be mad at her."

"Hunter I'm not mad at you," She responded while walking over towards her brother. "What you must've been going through the last two years only to come back to this madness I mean I can barely get my head around all this and it's been your life for two years."

"It's definitely been an interesting two years but trust you to one up me over being a vampire hunter with having a vampire doppelganger." Hunter joked as his sister hugged him.

"You need to fill me in on everything," She told him as she broke off the hug. "No more secrets."

"No more secrets." Hunter repeated accepting Elena's more than fair demands.

Suddenly Sheila let out a loud scream as mysterious figure after figure vamp sped out of the dark cave and quickly out of sight before Sheila returned to chanting in Croatian raising her voice louder while clearly in a lot of pain.

"Mrs Bennet!" Elena screamed clearly concerned for her best friend's grandmother.

"Something's clearly wrong." Stefan said clearly worried for his brother.

Hunter could sense what Stefan was about to do and quickly tripped Stefan as Stefan began to vamp speed towards the cave snapping the Salvatore vampire's neck before his body hit the cold hard ground.

"Hunter what the hell are you doing?" Elena asked her brother confused by his sudden act of violence.

"I'll be right back." Hunter said in a bid to reassure his sister before running into the cave after Damon.

"Hunter!" She screamed. "Damon!"

"I can't keep this seal open much longer." Sheila warned Elena as more human figures vamp sped out of the cave.


End file.
